The Only One in the World: A Sherlock Holmes Anthology

by Narrelle M. Harris (Editor)

'Well, I have a trade of my own. I suppose I am the only one in the world. I'm a consulting detective, if you can understand what that is.' - Sherlock Holmes to Dr John Watson, A Study in Scarlet.Since his first appearance in 1887, Sherlock Holmes has been the quintessential English sleuth, alongside his loyal companion and biographer, Doctor John Watson.But what if they had come from some other place in the world, or another time? How would they differ from Conan Doyle's creations? How similar might they remain?Holmes and Watson are herein re-imagined in new cultural contexts, in different genders and sexualities, and in stories rich in foreign detail that still reflect their origins.Fourteen writers with cultural or historic expertise explore the possibilities in stories set in Germany, C17th England, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Russia, India, Poland, USA, Ancient Egypt, Viking Iceland, and even the entire world.You will discover how the Great Detective remains singular in every world!

Genres: Short Stories, Anthologies, Mystery, Crime

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2021

About the author

I grew up in a home bursting with books. My father was in the Royal Australian Air Force – we moved roughly every three years – and my parents were passionate advocates of reading and the importance of access to a library of ideas, no matter where we lived.

Between a childhood spent on the move yet steeped in literature, and a naturally dramatic personality, it’s no surprise I became a storyteller.

At home, and at libraries all over Australia, I read everything from Little Golden Books to The World Book Encyclopaedia. As my family moved so frequently, my companions wherever I went were the Pevensies of Narnia, a horse named Flicka and the Hardy Boys. I grew up with the characters created by Diana Wynne Jones as they too learned independence and responsibility. Miss Marple and the Dragonriders of Pern were always at my side.

Writers like Eric Frank Russell and Lois McMaster Bujold were as influential on my character and my writing as surely as Shakespeare and the Brontes. I’m still always picking up new influences, from modern writers like Emily Larkin and Neil Gaiman as well as classics by PG Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Before you figure I am always and forever reading, I’m a traveller too. My early years spent moving from state to state led to itchy feet. After moving out of the family home, I lived in Perth, then met Tim Richards and we decided to have adventures of our own. We moved to Egypt to teach English as a Foreign Language, then went on to Poland.

After we finished teaching, we kept travelling: we’ve been to the UK and US, to Thailand, Germany, Hungary, Syria, Jordan, France, Italy, Slovenia, Czech, and Canada – and we’re not done travelling yet.

The places I’ve visited – London, Hungary, Canada – often appear in my work, but the home of my heart is the place I write about most often.

Melbourne, Australia. The town we chose to live in always. The city I love so much she is practically a character in her own right in books like The Opposite of Life and short stories like Near Miss. I even researched the Marvellous Melbourne of the 1890s for my Holmes♥Watson romance, The Adventure of the Colonial Boy.

Given my background and all my literary influences, it’s hardly astonishing that my storytelling is eclectic: crime, adventure, fantasy, horror and romance – separately or combined.

For all the different genres I write in, everything I write generally includes the same tone and the same type of themes. They are full of the families one is born with and the families we make for ourselves. The protagonists all face challenges they’ve made for themselves as well as external threats that test them. They’re full of people who’ve made mistakes who seek to learn and to make better choices.

Whether you’re reading a vampire adventure in modern Melbourne, a Holmesian mystery in London or a racy lesbian romance in the Middle East, you’ll find humour, heart, friendships and love.

Awards

Jane: In 2017, my ghost/crime story Jane won the Athenaeum Library’s Body in the Library prize at the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, hosted by Sisters in Crime Australia.

Other nominations and shortlistings include:

Fly By Night (nominated for a Ned Kelly Award 2004)
Witch Honour (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize as Witching Ways in 1998)
Witch Faith (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize in 1999)
Walking Shadows (Chronos Awards; Davitt Awards in 2012)

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Narrelle's erotica published as NM Harris is listed on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Reviews

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world.’ (Sherlock Holmes ‘The Sign of Four’)

I grew up with Sherlock Holmes in print. I read Arthur Conan Doyle’s four novels and collections of his short stories during the third quarter of last century, wishing I had the same skills as Holmes to observe and deduce and a trusty sidekick like Doctor John Watson to assist. Half a century later, I am delighted to make the acquaintance of different versions of Holmes and Watson through a collection of thirteen short stories brought together by commissioning editor Narrelle M. Harris.

If you have ever wondered about an ancient Egyptian version of Holmes and Watson, turn to L.J.M.Owen’s ‘Prince Ha-Mes and the Adventure of The Stoned Mason’. I thoroughly enjoyed Jayantika Ganguly’s ‘The Adventure of the Fated Homecoming’ (set in India). There are stories set in New Orleans (by Greg Herren), in cyberspace (Atlin Merrick), while Jack Fennell takes us to Ireland. In his story, Jason Franks takes us to South Africa during apartheid, while Natalie Conyer takes us to a Jewish village in Poland. Kerry Greenwood and David Greagg take us to the Viking Age, while Lisa Fessler takes us to Berlin. Restoration England provides the setting for Lucy Sussex’s story while Katya de Becerra takes us to a future Russia. Raymond Gates provides a unique twist in Australia, and J.M. Redmann takes us to an entirely different New Orleans.

And, in each of these stories, we meet different versions of Holmes and Watson. The bodies they inhabit might be different from those described by Conan Doyle, the times, and places they inhabit frequently are, but their detecting skills remain singular.

I also want to mention Judith Rossell’s brilliant cover and Andrea L. Farley’s illustrations as the beginning of each chapter.

What a terrific anthology this is! If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes stories, if you would like to consider Holmes and Watson outside the roles depicted by Arthur Conan Doyle, I think you will enjoy these stories as much as I did. Highly recommended.

In my mind, I can imagine Holmes saying: ‘It’s elementary!’

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Kirsten McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild romp through the various minds of Sherlock and Watson. Like any anthology, I loved some stories more than others, but on the whole, it was a refreshing take on a classic pairing. With stories by Greg Herren, Atlin Merrick, Jack Fennell, Jason Franks, Natalie Conyer, Kerry Greenwood, David Greagg, Lisa Fessler, Lucy Sussex, Katya de Becerra, Jay Ganguly, Dr. LJM Owen, Raymond Gates, JM Redmann and edited by Narrelle M. Harris, there is something in this anthology for everyone.
You want a female Sherlock Holmes, you've got it. You want a gay relationship between Sherlock and Watson? There's one here for you. You want an Egyptian Sherlock, or an Indian one? Then this is the anthology for you.
Highly recommended.

[Narrelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm incredibly proud to have been the commissioning editor for this fine collection of stories about Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, and how they might have been if they'd come from a different culture and place in time. The authors were all brilliant to work with and brought such different and fresh approaches to their stories.

[Katya de Becerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello Dear Readers!

I'm so proud to have a story in this fabulous anthology - my contribution is called A Scandalous Case of Poisoning. This is my anthology debut.

Obviously, I acknowledge positive bias in my glowing review, but hey: aside from my story, there's 13 more and I've loved all of them, hence 5 stars from me.

On a more serious note, I'd love to share something personal with you. As part of the anthology publication, I was asked to write Author's Note to go with my story, explaining my choices and the background of the setting and characters. Below it is shared in full:

Author’s note:

Born in Russia, I came of age in the 1990s (think: tanks on the Red Square and Scorpions singing Wind of Change). My childhood memories of watching dubbed Labyrinth compete with those of my parents buying bread with food stamps. What does Sherlock Holmes have to do with this? Reading those books as a teen, I’ve formed two assumptions: Russia had no private investigators, and all the famous ones were men. Research busted my assumptions wide open. There have always been private detectives in Russia, but the inflexibilities of the country’s justice systems meant they often worked from the shadows. Importantly, many of these detectives have been women, unwelcomed by the patriarchal law enforcement but seeking to do this work anyway. Having learned this, I knew I had to reimagine Holmes and Watson as brilliant young women, striving for a better future amidst the shifting terrains of the 1990s Russia.

CWs for my story: poisoning.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent anthology containing 13 stories that are Sherlock Holmes, but not as you know him. This is Sherlock Holmes spread across the world and across history.

All the stories are of very high standard. Of course I have favourites; stories that were the highlights of the book for me. These were:

S.H.E.R.L.O.C.K by Atlin Merrick;
The Saga of the Hidden Treasure by Kerry Greenwood and David Greagg;
Mistress Islet and the General's Son by Lucy Sussex; and
Prince Ha-mahes and the Adventure of the Stoned Mason by L.J.M. Owen

A fun and fabulous read for both dedicated Holmesians and those who enjoy a good mystery story.

Highly recommended.

[Samantha Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite liked this anthology. Particularly Katya de Becerra’s Russian take on Holmes and Watson

[Julie Bozza · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly excellent anthology, with the contents living up to the gorgeous cover, and an intriguing range of settings. My two favourite stories - at least, this time round - were "The Path of Truth" by Jack Fennell, and "S.H.E.R.L.O.C.K." by Atlin Merrick. But all the stories were strong, and explored interesting alternative takes on the original Holmes and Watson characters.

Having said that, all the stories were definitely "Sherlock Holmes" stories in structure and content - which in one way is a definite strength (and by which I was very impressed), but on the other hand slowed down my reading as I wasn't inclined to read more than two or three at a time. Which isn't a bad thing in itself, mind you.

Very much recommended!

[L.A. Larkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant idea - to put together an anthology of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson short story mysteries in which the central characters come from vastly different cultural backgrounds, from any gender and sexuality, and set in any time period. The stories are witty, moving, and full of surprise. It kept me entertained into the wee small hours.

[Thomas Pugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I have pontificated before, there are two broad approaches to writing a Holmes story. Firstly, you can do something clever with him, adding your own twist, making the story your own. Or you can go straight up pastiche, writing a tale that could have been written by Arthur Conan Doyle. TOOitW obviously takes the first approach - what if Holmes was a viking? (Yeah, I know technically speaking 'viking' does not encompass everyone who lived in Dark Age Scandinavia, only those who went a-viking.) What if Holmes was an AI? Or how about an Irishman? But, I think, it also carries with it much of the baggage and expectation of the second category. Anyone who buys a Sherlock Holmes anthology is going to be a Sherlock Holmes fan and is going to want (to some degree) a recreation of the original stories, even if they do have a spin.
And this is where the main hurdle with this anthology lies: there is too much for the writers to do in a single short story. To my mind, for a Holmes fan to be satisfied with a Holmes story there need to be three elements:

The Mystery - As above, this is what makes the story satisfying. (Admittedly, there are a couple of canon stories that don't really have a mystery, but they aren't the best.)

Holmes & Watson - Sometimes, at a push, you can do without Watson, but you're running uphill. Although the premise of TOOitW is that Holmes and Watson have been transposed to a new era or place, they still need to be recognisable, otherwise it isn't a Holmes story.

Evocative Setting - Conan Doyle wrote his stories very much in the vein of the penny dreadfuls. His stories were not set in the real London, but rather the London of gothic fiction, of Sweeny Todd, and to a lesser extent Dickins. And likewise when he ventured from "the great cesspool", the locations were larger than life and owed more to the adventure writing of Dumas and his cronies than geography. In turn, many Holmes pastiches evoke the literary amalgam of Holmes' London. But when they are set elsewhere, it should still be a world where danger lurks in every shadow.


Most of the stories in TOOitW fall short in at least one of these categories, but it's hardly surprising when you consider that, as well as delivering these three facets, they also need to spend time putting their own twist on Holmes and Watson. That's not to say the book is unenjoyable. It's an interesting exercise to ponder exactly how Holmes would fit in elsewhere - some of the stories do this very cleverly, others less so. In almost every case, the mystery takes a back seat, some just plain don't work, others feel like they are tacked on.
There is one standout story for me: The Adventure of the Fated Homecoming by Jayantika Ganguly, which managed to pull off all three elements, and in less than 20 pages, that's pretty impressive. Honourable mentions must also go to Atlin Merrick's S.H.E.R.L.O.C.K., Raymond Gates' The Enemy Within, and Shakura Homura and the Iron Heart by Jason Franks, who fell a bit short on the mystery front, but were very fun reads anyway. Most of the other stories are OK. There are a couple of duds, which I won't name.

Overall the book is interesting, and just entertaining enough to scrape ★★★☆☆ (63/140).

This review is taken from my blog: https://theworldisabookblog.blogspot.com

[Sarah Tollok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will I read every retelling of Sherlock Holmes? Yes.

My latest installment of confirming this assertion was this anthology. There were some really unique versions in this lovely book. My favorites were creole Sherlock, AI Sherlock, and the last story. That one you'll have to see for yourself to fully appreciate the surprise.

So go get yours Sherlockians! No matter where in the world, or when in time, the game is always afoot.

[Eleah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a good fanfic? They are often easy to read because even if the setting is completely different to the original the characters are the ones we know and love.
This is what 'The Only One in the World' provides its readers.
This collection of stories featuring our beloved Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, although presented in many different lights, is a pleasure to read.
Notable stories, i.e. my favourites, include: 'S.H.E.R.L.O.C.K.' and 'The Enemy Within'.